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Mayor Owes Myself, Taxpayers an Apology for March 4 Meeting

I write to discuss the
unfortunate, and frankly shocking, display by our Mayor in the Council chambers
just last week. It was my hope that we would have an open and thoughtful
discussion with the Mayor and department heads regarding the issues related to
the Wellness Center, but sadly what happened last Monday night was nothing more
than an insult to the residents and taxpayers of the community by the Mayor.

Several department heads
requested that I write and submit any questions I had related to the Health and
Wellness Center seven days prior to the committee meeting. I was happy to do
so, and did so as a requirement of the City charter, not in response to a demand
by the Administration. Again, my hope was that this would be the start of a
respectful dialogue, but what occurred was anything but respectful.

Today I am forced to defend
myself from the baseless, one-sided attack from the Mayor, who was quick to name-call
and point fingers at, what he called, “poor leadership” on my part, while this
same Mayor failed to lead when tackling this issue, and when addressing his
colleagues in the Council chamber. The Mayor went on to accuse me of carrying
water for a local newspaper and damaging our community. I take great offense to
these remarks and have consistently prided myself on being an independent
voice, working solely for the best interests of the residents here.

As City Councilors, we have
a duty and responsibility to ask questions and seek answers. If the Mayor
disagrees with this role, I would be curious what he thinks we’re actually
doing here. The fact remains that if there were not instances of misusing power
and nepotism, we would not be here discussing the matter, and perhaps we would
have a Mayor conducting himself as an adult. I have had a number of
conversations with past Human Resources directors and Mr. Steve Supino about
this department and the Mayor’s tendency to use it as a personal employment agency
for insiders and friends. The mayor so wrongfully accused me of hoarding
complaints for political reasons, while ignoring the reality: If the Mayor had chosen to meet with all of
the City Council members, instead of a select few, he would have heard this
from me directly and not during a very public address before the Council.

Moreover, I was extremely
disappointed and disheartened to see my colleague – the chairman of Government
Operations, Public Safety and Public service – grossly misuse his power to shut
down a member of the City Council, in a clear effort to protect the mayor and
his department heads at all cost, regardless of what is best for the residents
and taxpayers here.

The Mayor owes me – and the
people of Everett – an apology for such abhorrent and embarrassing behavior.
Insults aside, no one should ever physically intimidate or lunge towards
another person, particularly in the Council Chamber as we conduct City business
on behalf of the people who elected us. This is a sad moment in Everett’s
history.

I respectfully ask the
Council considers my words here, and take appropriate steps to ensure that what
occurred in the Chambers last week will never happen again. I strongly believe
corrective action steps are required and the Council President needs to prove
to the residents and taxpayers that the Council serves to seek independent
checks and balances to the administration.

This step is not about what
happened last Monday night, but rather it is about what will happen going
forward if this matter is not addressed. We, the City Council, can never feel
comfortable sending an item to this committee going forward without fear of
repercussions – or refusal to be heard – from the Chairman if the Mayor does
not approve of the contents.

To end my remarks, I feel it
is important to correct the record and say that rumors of my demise have been
greatly exaggerated. I imagine this comes as a disappointment to my colleagues
in the Administration, but I will not be stepping down from my seat this evening,
despite reports and persistent rumors to the contrary.

I look forward to finding a way to turn the
page on this ugly incident, and moving forward to serve the people of Everett.